Clean-up: A must for tourists and residents alike

Last week, tourism advocate Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of Network of Independent Travel Agencies (NITAS), called on industry players and all to initiate a move replicating in Cebu City the Manila Bay cleanup.

He emphatically stressed that “Cebu should double-time in preserving its natural resources, especially the beaches, if it were to make tourism its main economic driver.”

Though this call is a bit late, it is still a good one. In fact, in having good precedents like that of Manila Bay and Boracay Island, this may not be difficult to implement at all.

To recall, last year, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the total closure for six months of Boracay effective April 26. As usual, its total closure to tourism elicited mixed reactions. Some emphasized the loss of livelihood for the thousands of employees of tourism-oriented establishments.  Likewise, they lamented for the small entrepreneurs who solely depended on the sale of their wares for a living.

On the other hand, some observers then who were going for the long haul appreciated the move.   They emphasized then that it shall tell the world that we are seriously addressing the safety issues of our tourists. That once rehabilitated, it might probably double its patronage, thus, recover whatever losses the stakeholders may have incurred in such challenging period.

True enough, it (the closure and serious clean-up drive) was the right move as we can now see.  The Boracay experience is, in fact, the main reason why the Manila Bay clean-up was done totally devoid of questions and controversies.

Agreeably, the same initiative must be undertaken in Cebu. As an island province, ours are all coastal cities and municipalities. In fact, in having its own stretches of shorelines or beaches, they are all bragging about its serenity and are relentlessly inviting tourists to take a dip, as if, it is the only prerequisite. Known to all of us, our public markets are situated just several meters from the shorelines, some are even so near the beaches. Unknown however, to most of us, these beaches are made receptacles of these public markets’ leftovers and wastes.

Moreover, this clean-up drive should not be limited to the beaches alone and not just for tourists’ sake. Remember, before a tourist reaches Boracay or any island destination or for any resident who frequently travels, he or she passes through airports, seaports and terminals. As they frolic or use these facilities in their travels, they will surely find out that apart from our Mactan Cebu International Airport and Port terminals of some established shipping companies, comfort rooms are so filthy.

Likewise, as soon as these tourists visit historical sites like Parian’s monument, they walk and drink a lot under humid conditions and can’t find places for comfort (toilets) when nature calls. Some might even throw up at the sight of human wastes as they stroll along boulevards and skywalks.

On the other hand, should these visitors tour around the Island of Cebu, hopping from one town to another to take first-hand experiences of those must publicized festivals, they shall soon find out that these LGUs do not even have decent toilets.

Instantaneously, some Cebuanos might argue for Cebu as we are allegedly fortunate to have LGU executives who are taking their own share of the responsibilities, sanitation-wise (as publicized).  However, frustratingly, oftentimes, the facts show otherwise.

So that, if the city and province of Cebu are dead serious in promoting tourism in the island, then, they should do so without political interest in mind. If we take a look at it as a tool to ameliorate fellow “probinsyanos” then let us take a look at it as a sustainable and viable undertaking instead of a pure personal publicity stunt.

Furthermore, they must realize that tourism isn’t comparable to a theater or an opera.  Spontaneity and health-safety are basic ingredients in tourism and in our (residents) daily lives not choreography and political gimmickry like how Suroy Suroy Sugbo was undertaken by then Gov. Gwen Garcia. Therefore, the more spontaneous the acts are, the more hygienic the places will be. More importantly, if we can all make this a habit, the better.